Pile fabric weave



'INVENTOR Garfield up BY OW nwrw ldcrwood ATTORNEYS Sept. 12, 1933. c. J. UNDERWOOD FILE FABRIC WEAVE Filed Feb. 8, 1952 Patented Sept. 12, 1933 UNITED STATES PILE FABRIC WEAVE Garfield J. Underwood, Amsterdam, N. Y., assignor to Mohawk Carpet Mills, Inc., Amsterdam, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 8, 1932. Serial No. 591,513

2 Claims. (01. 139-401) This invention relates to pile fabrics of the tapestry and Wilton types and is concerned more inferior to those of the chenille variety because the latter, with their characteristic basket weave on the back, have a softer body of greater thickness and a pile surface which is more luxurious and ofbetter appearance. While chenille fabrics are highly satisfactory in the respects mentioned, the use of chenille strips for the .pile adds substantially to their cost and limits the kind of designs that can be employed since there is an inherent tendency in such fabrics to irregularity in the pattern, which is likely to be objectionable, particularly in fabrics of the best grade. Also, chenille fabrics as heretofore commonly woven do not have their pile tufts firmly bound in place and the life, of such fabrics is liable to be shortened by the pulling out of the tufts.

. Attempts have been made in the past to devise methods of weaving fabrics which combine the desirable features of these two types but, so far as I am aware, these efforts have not resulted in success either because the tuft yarns in such fabrics were not bound sufficiently securely so that they would not pull out or else because noticeable marks were visible in the pile surface due to uneven binding of the weft yarns, detracting from its appearance.

Thepresent invention is accordingly directed to the provision of a fabric of novel weave which may have both the fine designs in the face pattern, possible with Wilton and tapestry weaves, and the soft heavy back characteristic of chenille materials, thesedesirable results being obtained 5 by an improved method of interlacing the binder warps which also insures that the tuft yarns will be firmly bound in place. The new fabric has the basket weave back of chenilles and may be Woven with heavy woolen weft, and, because of the manner in which the .pile tufts are bound, an excellent and uniform covering of the body of the fabric by the face yarn is obtained and the pile surfaceis soft and luxuriant.

The new fabric includes stuffer warps, weft shots arranged in' upper and lower series lying respectively above and below the stuffer warps, pile yarns held in place beneath the upper weft shots, and binder warps which bind the weft shots in the fabric. The binder warps aredivided into a plurality of sets and these warps are so interlaced in the fabric that each weft shot of the upper series is boundin place by warps of two sets alternating along the shot and with each of the warp threads lying in the interval between a pair of pile tufts. Successive weft shots of the upperseries are bound in the same manner but by warp threads of different sets with a result that, in each longitudinal -row;of intervals between rows of pile tufts, there are warp threads of at least two sets in alternation binding the upper weft shots. The weft shots of .the lower series are each bound by warp threads of at least two sets arranged in alternation along the shot but crossingbeneath the shot in pairs with'the threads of a pair lying in contact and with substantial lengths of the shot unbound between successive pairs. Successive shots of the lower seriesare bound by warp threads of different sets and the crossings of the pairs of binder warps beneath successive lower shots are in staggered relation. With this, construction, each weft shot of the upper series is bound at every point between adjacent pile, tufts,.while each Weft shot of the lower series isbound by pairs of binder warp threads with the pairs-spaced apart a distance equal to'the' width of two or more pile tufts. Also, no weft yarn of-the upper series is bound by the same combination of warps employed in binding any weft yarn of the lower series. As each upper weft shot is crossed by. a binder warp on each side of each pile tuft, the tufts are bound tightly in place and at the same time the back of the fabric has the customary basket weave of ,a chenille fabric with the accompanying softness and thickness of the latter. The pile of the new fabric is produced by pile yarns incorporated in the fabric in the customarymanner employed in connection withthe weaving of tapestry or Wilton fabrics, and the new fabric may, accordingly, have the fine sharp designs characteristic of those materials and not attaintable in chenille goods.

' For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an enlarged sectional view of a fabric of the tapestry type woven in accordance with the principles'of the invention, the elements of the fabric being separated to make clear the method of Weaving;

Fig. 2 is a sectional. View at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the fabric illustrated in Fig. 1;

.Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but illus-' trating the back of the fabric and showing the elements in their normal relation in the finished product;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a fabric of the vWilton type; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view at right angles to Fig. 5. I I

The tapestry fabric woven in accordance with my invention and illustrated in Figs; 1 to 4, inclusive, includes heavy woolen weft yarns 10 lying in upper and lower series respectively above and below stuffer warps 11. In the fabric shown, the stuifers are of four-ply but the num-' ber used is not important and any suitable number may be employed. The fabric includes pile the upper series, and shearing the yarns atv the desired height. a The weft yarns are held in place in the fabric" the warp 14 passes over the upper weft shot.

18, under the lower weft 19 and the upper weft 20, over the lower weft 21 and the upper weft 22, and under the lower weft 23. The warp 15 is paired with the warp 14 between the same 1 rows of pile tufts, and passes under the upper weft shot 18 and the lower weft 19, over the upper weft 20 and the lower'weft 21, and under the upper weft 22 andthelower weft 23. Of the other pair of warps, the warp 16 passes over the upper weft l8 and the lower weft 19, under the upper weft 20 and the lower weft 21, and over the upper weft 22 and the lower weft 23, and the other warp 17 of this pair passes under the upper weft 18, over the lower weft l9 and the upper weft 20, under the lower weft 21 and the upper weft 22, and over the lower weft 23. 1 1

With this arrangement, each weft shot of the upper series is bound 'in the fabric by warp threads of two series, and the warp threads crossing-this weft shot lie spaced apartatsubstantially uniform distances with pile tufts 12 looped around-the weft shot between adjacent warp-threads. Each pile tuft is thus engaged by a pair of" warp threads in contact with its opposite faces and is-firmly held in position thereby. Alternate weft shots of the upper series are bound by the same binder warps as, for example, upper weft shot 18 is bound by warps 14 and 16, and upper weft shot 22 is also bound Consecutive weft by warp threads 14 and 16. shotsof the upper series are bound by different warp threadsas for example, upper weft shot 20 is bound by warps .15 and 17 and the next upper weft shot 22 by warps 14 and 16. In each case, the warp threads binding at upper weft shot are spaced a substantial distance apart and the distances between the points where the into the fabric in accordance with the regular or tapestry looms may be employed, these looms secutive back wefts with the crossings in stagwarp threads cross the upper weft shot are substantially uniform.

Alternate weft shots of the lower series are bound by the warp threads of the same two series, for example, the lower weft shot 23 is bound by warp threads 14 and 15. Consecutive weft shots of the lower series are bound by different warp threads, the lower weft shot 21 which lies next to the lower weft shot 23 being bound by warp threads 16 and 1'7. At the points where the binder warps cross beneath the lower weft shots, the warps lie in pairs, the members of which are substantially in contact, as shown in Fig. 4, and there are thus substantial lengths of lower weft shots exposed between adjacent n pairs of binder warps crossing beneath them.

A fabric woven in the manner described has the'basket type of weave on the back typical of chenille fabrics and its back is thick and soft becauseof the substantial lengths of weft yarns exposed between adjacent pairs of binder warps. The thickness and softness can be increased to an extent such that the fabric close-'- 1y resembles Chenille materials in these respects I by the use of heavy woolen weft yarns. The '0 fabric, however, is superior to chenille ma.- terial in that its pile tufts are bound firmly in place and marks-on the pile surface are avoided. Also, the pile yarns are introduced practice employed in weavlng tapestry goods and consequently finer and sharper designs in the face pattern'may be obtained than is possible in fchenille fabrics.

The-method of weaving described above in no connection with the production of tapestry fabrics mayalso be employed in weaving Wilton goodsfand-a Wilton fabric woven in accordance with thefprinciples. of the invention is illustrated I in Figs. 5 and 6. This fabric includes weft shots 10in upper and lower series above and below four-ply stuffers and there frames of face yarn 25. It'is to be understood that the number offrames of face yarn used may be varied as desired just as the number of stuffers employed will be'varied in accordance with the type of fabric'to be produced. In the Wilton fabric the face yarns 25 are lifted out of the fabric at the desired places to form'loops which produce the pile, these loops being out, if desired, to form pile tufts 26. Each pile yarn in the fabric is bound in place by a plurality of weft shots of' the upper series and the portions of those yarns which form tufts are engaged on opposite sides by binder warps so that a good binding action 130.- is obtained. The binder warps are interlaced in the fabric in the manner previously described in connection with tapestry weaving and provide the basket weave back typical of chenilles. In both the Wilton and tapestry goods, the improved method of binding the weft shots and the pile yarns in place produces a better and more uniform covering of the body by the face yarn.

In weaving the new fabrics, the usual Wilton V being provided with four heddles, one for each series of binder warps, and the binder Warp beam is wound with a two-play warp with two ends for each split or space in the reed. With this arrangement, and with the heddles' manipulated toproduce the interlacing described, a perfect bind on each side of the pile tufts is provided together with a double binding for congered relation. 5

I claim:-

1. A pile fabric which comprises stuifer warps, weft shots in upper and lower series lying, respectively, above and below the stuffer warps, the weft shots in at least said lower series being of heavy wool, pile yarns held beneath weft shots of the upper series and having portions extending above the face of the fabric to produce a pile, and binder warps for binding said weft shots in the fabric, said binder warps individually binding each weft shot of the upper series to the fabric in each interval between adjacent pile tufts and binding each weft shot of the lower series in pairs, the warps of'each pair lying substantially in contact and thepairs being spaced along the weft shots a distance of at least the width of two pile tufts.

2. A pile fabric which comprises stuffer warps,

weft shots in upper and lower series lying, respectively, above and below the stuffer warps, the weft shots in at least said lower series being of heavy wool, pile yarns held beneath weft shots of the upper series and having portions extending above the face of the fabric to produce a pile, and binder warps for binding said weft shots in the fabric, each binder warp crossing Jail 

